How can a heart attack cause a seizure when seizures happen in the brain?

Question

My friend's dad died of a heart attack. They said he had convulsions on the floor.

Answer 1

lack of oxygen supply to the brain.

May be even a stroke.

Answer 2

What was described may or may not indicate a true seizure.  A seizure, as you say, is by definition uncontrolled and disorganized firing of neurons in the cortex of the brain.  But any neurologic injury can cause a seizure.

During a heart attack, blood is not delivered to the body, including the brain, and blood is needed to deliver oxygen to cells--without it, they die.  Anoxia (lack of oxygen) causes brain damage very quickly, and could be an instigating factor in a seizure.  Another possibility is that an embolism or blood clot was thrown off during the heart attack which traveled to the brain, causing the damage and seizure that way.

I am very sorry to hear about your friend's father.  My own father died of a heart attack; it's a very difficult thing to go through.

Answer 3

More than likely he had a blood clot that went tho the heart and on to the brain. How sad for this family. My brother did the same thing while in the hospital for another reason. And he to passed away. It now much fun to see this...:-(

Answer 4

If the heart attack is severe enough, it can decrease cardiac output enough to starve the brain of oxygen, thereby causing the seizure.

I might also mention an unlikely second option: if the paramedics were doing a resuscitation and gave a large amount of lidocaine, it can cause seizures (or, oddly enough, treat them!).

Answer 5

stroke